Sponsored by Cabot Cheese and Divina
The past year taught us all a lot about vulnerability. We came together to figure out how to survive a pandemic, raise our collective voices against social injustices and connect with allies to combat adverse systematic structures that affect BIPOC people, especially Black women.
During Women’s History Month where there is light shone on the many accomplishments of women in various industries, we hone in on the voices, narratives, and contributions of Black women in the food and beverage industry. This year, we received over 600 nominations from around the world for the 31 Days of Black Women in Food Initiative and the 31 honorees were selected by an exemplary list of judges whose respective work enriches the world of food and builds on the needed diversity and inclusion in the industry. The breadth and impact of this year’s honorees are undeniable. Meet the honorees and learn more about their work in our partner events throughout March and beyond.
We present the 2021 honorees:
The Game Changers: Women who are using their voice or influence to bring about change or catalyze growth for individuals or groups.
Allegra Massaro and Gaïana Joseph (Washington, DC/New York City, NY, USA) are the Co-founders of Fuel the People. Guided by the belief that food is the fuel for the revolution, Fuel the People supports and nourishes communities by providing meals to those in need through partnerships with local Black and POC chefs and restaurants. Founded in June 2020, Fuel the People began in the kitchens of its founders and has since provided over 40,000 meals to protestors, voters in long lines in marginalized neighborhoods, and food and housing insecure individuals and families across DC & NYC, all while supporting local businesses through its restaurant partnerships.
Angela McKee Brown (Oakland, CA, USA) is the Executive Director at The Edible Schoolyard Project, an organization dedicated to providing hands on experiences that connect students to food, nature and community while systematically addressing the crisis of climate change, public health and social inequality. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Brown led the organization in launching an edible education at home series and an organic Community Support Agriculture (CSA) box program to provide Stockton, CA residents with continued access to nourishing meals directly from local farmers when schools closed.
Beny Ashburn (Los Angeles, CA, USA) is a Co-founder and CEO at Crowns & Hops Brewing Co., a company dedicated to preserving culture, expanding the palate and fostering inclusivity in the craft beer industry by ensuring that racial equity is achieved. On a mission to create spaces that are community centric with underserved communities in mind, Ashburn and her team plan to open a one of a kind brewery in downtown Inglewood, CA in 2021.
Devita Davison (Detroit, MI, USA) is the Executive Director at Foodlab Detroit, a community of food entrepreneurs committed to making the possibility of good food in Detroit a sustainable reality by designing, building and maintaining systems to grow a diverse ecosystem of triple-bottom-line food businesses as part of a good food movement that is accountable to all persons in Detroit. In her capacity, she has been able to transform the food industry through issuing support to locally owned food entrepreneurs and working to cultivate, connect and catalyze a supportive community of food entrepreneurs.
Sicily Johnson (New York City, NY, USA) is the Co-founder and Executive Chef of Food + People, which focuses on providing easy to access and quality foods. Using pop-ups to serve the community, Johnson has fed protesters during marches against racism, employed formerly incarcerated youth, and donated to community development initiatives. Her community focused lens also translated into the online space when she used her platform to highlight and support the work of Black chefs affected by the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. She is continuously providing an edible piece of culture that is deeply tied to her roots and creating food spaces that foster community.
The Innovators: Women who are introducing new or unique methods, approaches, ideas, and/products.
Andrea Drummer (Los Angeles, CA, USA) is Co-owner and Chef at The Original Cannabis Cafe, the United States’ first restaurant to legally sell marijuana for on-site consumption located in West Hollywood, California. Drummer is the author of the landmark book Cannabis Cuisine: Bud Pairings of A Born Again Chef, the Director of Food and Beverage at Elevation VIP Cooperative, a medicinal marijuana dispensary specializing in premium innovative cuisine, and produced the Spotify series, “Breaking Bread,” where guests taste multi-course Cannabis infused dinners.
Julia Collins (San Francisco, CA, USA) co-founded Zume Pizza, a pizza company staffed by humans and robots that became the first unicorn company ever founded by a Black woman. Collins is currently the founder of Planet FWD, a company that uses “the magic of food to help reverse climate change.” Collin’s company launched Moonshot Snacks, which uses ingredients from farmers that use regenerative agriculture practices. Regenerative agriculture is a farming technique that aims to reverse the effects of climate change by capturing carbon in soil and aboveground biomass, which increases biodiversity, enriches soils and improves watersheds.
Sara Menker (New York City, NY, USA) is Founder and CEO of Gro Intelligence, an analytics start-up deploying artificial intelligence systems for food security and climate stability solutions. Menker created the data platform to pull global agricultural data from several data sets and then employ artificial intelligence to create forecasts for supply, demand and pricing. With such innovation, Menker is providing solutions for issues around food security and ensuring access to food while monitoring climate change that impacts agricultural systems.
Bethel Tsegaye (Beltsville, MD, USA) is the founder and baker at Teff & Co., a vegan and gluten free bakery which provides healthy and allergen free baked goods. Tsegaye is changing the baking industry by introducing the ancient grain Teff, indigenous to Ethiopia and Eritrea, into baked goods. Teff, is a naturally whole grain flour full of nutrients, adds richness to breads, cakes, cookies and pastries. Tsegaye’s company prides itself on quality and delicious tasting foods that are vegan and gluten free, breaking the myth that flavor must be compromised for people with plant based lifestyles or gluten allergies.
Krystal Mack (Baltimore, MD, USA) is an Interdisciplinary Artist, who has seamlessly streamlined culinary artistry with causes and social issues that are prevalent to her community. Mack uses food as a tool for social change to enable a person to be present with oneself, one’s city and their history. Mack founded In Absence Of Design, a studio that views food from the perspective of social design. The studio has created installations and public events for Baltimore Museum of Art and The Walters Art Museum. In addition, Mack’s publication, How To Take Care, a digital guide of collaborative recipes and rituals, raised over $10,360 in 30 days for organizations around the world supporting Domestic and Intimate Partner Violence victims during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Creators: Women who use food as a tool or medium of expression and/or connection with others.
Alexis Nikole Nelson (Columbus, Ohio, USA) is a content creator and “Black forager” focused on finding naturally growing ingredients that can be incorporated in everyday food preparation to make healthy wholesome meals. Nelson documents her adventures foraging for food in her neighborhood and educates audiences on foraging and creating recipes from everyday edible outdoor finds. Since embarking on creating content on TikTok, Alexis has been able to bring together close to half a million followers interested in food.
Catina Smith (Baltimore, MD, USA) is the Founder of Just Call Me Chef, a call to action movement, that highlights Black Women Chefs and promotes sisterhood that is aimed at “driving equity and inclusion in every kitchen”. Through creative means, Smith showcases the work and contributions of Black women chefs, from a featured chef calendar to providing opportunities for women to celebrate each other's work. Under the leadership of Smith, Just Call Me Chef is keen on uniting and uplifting Black women chefs through professional networking mentorship programs and education on various issues.
Matse Uwatse (Abuja, Nigeria) is the Founder of Mastecooks blog and Mastecooks seasonings. Perhaps the most illustrative platform of Uwatse’s cooking prowess is her Instagram, where she showcases and teaches recipes for people to enjoy and connect with family, friends or colleagues. Uwatse draws on her Nigerian heritage to showcase techniques for staple local dishes as well as dishes inspired by other cultures. With a robust following, her spice collection helps audiences create dishes with her touch, featuring key West African spices, from jollof spice to suya spice.
Ozozoma Sokoh (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) popularly known as “Ozoz’ is the Founder of Kitchen Butterfly, a definitive guide to all things food - mapping the intersections between Nigerian cuisine and foods of the world. She is a Nigerian food explorer, culinary anthropologist and food historian that uses foodways – the social, cultural and economic practices relating to the production and consumption of food - to explore the world. Sokoh created Feast Afrique, a free online digital library that focuses on culinary information and references for West African, Nigerian, and Black cuisines. This platform addresses a gap in access to resources focused on culinary history and information for the African diaspora.
Wairimu Muturi Wakaba (Nairobi, Kenya) is the Founder of Nimoh's Kitchen where she uses her blog as a creative outlet to express her love for food. Wakaba leverages Instagram and YouTube to teach her audience Kenyan recipes while also embracing cuisines from other cultures. Wakaba is passionate about cooking and infuses with a modern twist on traditional Kenyan dishes. Her tutorials focus on homemade meals, making them accessible to the everyday homecook.
The Trailblazers: Women who have paved the way for others and have made groundbreaking contributions in the culinary field.
Kimberly Brock Brown (Summerville, SC, USA) is the Owner of Culinary Concepts LLC. In 2017, Brown became the first and only African American woman elected to the board of the American Culinary Federation (ACF), an organization with more than 17,000 chefs among its members. She was recently reelected to the same board for a 2nd term and continues to use her role on the board to inspire women to take up leadership positions and be exemplary leaders.
Maria Dolores De Jesús (Loíza, Puerto Rico) is the owner of E Burén de Lula in Loíza, known as one of the most iconic gastronomic experiences in the northeastern coast of Puerto Rico. Its Afro-Puerto Rican cuisine has a unique Tainos touch and technique, making it a delicious culinary experience. De Jesús puts her immense culinary skillset to use by making indigenous recipes most of which contain coconut and cassava on buren. Her establishment has received recognition as a place with authentic Puerto Rican food from The Institute of Puerto Rican Culture. At 84 years, age has not slowed her effort to ensure the culture continues to live on.
Roshara Sanders (New York City, NY, USA) is an Instructor at The Culinary Institute of America where she is the first Black woman instructor at the institute. As an instructor, Sanders hopes to use her leadership to bring about change from the inside by hiring more women and veterans especially those affected by domestic violence.
Tracye McQuirter (Washington, DC, USA) is the CEO of By Any Greens Necessary Inc. Her book, By Any Greens Necessary, has paved the way to the rise of veganism among African Americans. In 2017, McQuirter was named by the Vegetarian Times Magazine as a “New Food Hero” for creating one of a kind African American vegan starter guide with farm sanctuaries. She has since written a second book Ageless Vegan with her mother to mark 30 years of being vegan.
The Amplifiers: Women who leverage their voices and platform(s) to highlight others through storytelling.
Anela Malik (Washington, DC, USA) is the Founder of Feed the Malik, a blog that showcases diverse stories on food and features simple recipes with the aim of truly distinguishing tasty food from trendy by highlighting diversity throughout the Washington, DC area and beyond. As a Black blogger, she has set out to help local Black-owned food businesses by offering them social media tools to grow and sustain their businesses. Malik has also featured hundreds of Black-owned restaurants and pushed for their visibility as a response to need for support and equity catalyzed by the Black Lives Matter movement.
Rochelle Brown and Sonia Armstead (New York City, NY, USA) are the Founders of Powerhouse Productions, a full-service production company with a nationwide reputation for creating high quality and innovative culinary and lifestyle programming. Known for their compelling storytelling and a knack for developing new talent and "fresh” programming ideas, this dynamic duo have produced hit network shows such as Emeril Live, Patti LaBelle’s Place, Harlem on My Plate, Just Eats with Chef JJ Johnson and New Soul Kitchen Remix with Chef Jernard Wells, currently airing on Cleo TV.
Veronica Chambers (New York City, NY, USA) a prolific author of best selling and award winning cookbooks. She co-authored Yes Chef with Chef Marcus Samuelson as well as 32 Yolks with chef Eric Ripert. Chambers won the prestigious James Beard award in 2019 for Best American cookbook for her work on Between Harlem and Heaven.
Tiffani Rozier (New York City, NY, USA) is the Founder of Set The Table Media, an African-American culinary and travel media company created for African-American tastemakers that brings diversity and enables people to produce an incredible body of work. Rozier is also the Founder and Host of Afros and Knives, a culinary, culture and lifestyle podcast where she holds interviews that provide informative, insightful, and professional content about food. She uses her podcast to celebrate leading Black women who are innovative and work in the food, wine, and hospitality industry.
Jamila Robinson (Washington, DC, USA) is a Food Editor for The Philadelphia Inquirer where she writes, assigns, and edits articles about food and drink culture. Robinson has led workshops for food writers on digital strategy and sponsored content at the Society for Features Journalists, James Beard Foundation Women’s Leadership Summit as well as the National Food Writers Symposium. As chairperson of the James Beard Foundation’s Awards Committee, she hopes to bring on board more food writers of color by securing funding that will be used to start a fellowship program focusing on emerging writers to be published and help them connect to the network that is the food community.
The Culinarians: Women who are trained or self-taught in the art of cooking.
Mashama Bailey (New York City,NY, USA) is Co-Owner at The Grey, which is a restaurant that offers food, wine, and excellent service that is familiar, yet elevated. Bailey spent dozens of years cooking throughout New York City which has immensely sharpened her cooking skills. Currently, she serves as the Vice Chairperson on the Edna Lewis Foundation board. She recently (January 2021) released her new book, Black, White, and The Grey, a cookbook and a memoir that gives the story behind a fortuitous collaboration, friendship and an iconic restaurant.
Mogau Seshoene (Limpopo, South Africa) is a chef and entrepreneur from South Africa. She founded The Lazy Makoti, an experiential cooking school with a passion for traditional African and South African cuisine. Her debut cookbook, The Lazy Makoti’s Guide to the Kitchen is a bestseller in South Africa and was awarded a Gourmand World Cookbook Award. She is a 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship and Forbes Africa 30 under 30 honoree. Seshoene continues to work for representation of African heritage in food media in South Africa.
Joy Parham (Philadelphia, PA, USA) is Co-Owner of Urban County Culinary Concepts and Catering Company which offers a large variety of drop and go catering services to fit everyone's needs. Parham offers preset and custom made menus that display a blend of different cultural backgrounds. She has also appeared on television shows including competing on Hell’s Kitchen.
Dayana Joseph (Haiti), also known as" Chef Day" is a French and Italian trained from Haiti. Trained under the direct mentor-ship and tutelage of Michelin Star Chefs in New York City, she has experience in fine dining and Afro-Caribbean cuisine. Her insatiable curiosity and passion for fine dining allows her to blend fresh and bold ingredients with tactful culinary techniques to create nutritious, flavorful and artfully plated dishes often inspired by her Caribbean roots. Joseph is the former Executive Chef of APT 4B in Atlanta, Georgia where she developed a menu inspired by Caribbean flavors with french preparation.
Shenarri Freeman (New York City, NY, USA) is an Executive Chef at Cadence, a vegan southern soul food restaurant in East Village, a neighborhood in New York City. Freeman is a self-taught plant-based chef, holistic researcher and a health and wellness advocate who has been featured in TimeOut Magazine among top 15 Black trailblazers who are changing the way people eat and drink in 2021.
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